Current pick-up of payloads by helicopter using an airframe-mounted hook on the helicopter requires the attachment points of a cargo net or other suspension gear to be connected directly to the airframe-mounted hook. In order to accomplish this connection, it is necessary for the helicopter pilot to position the helicopter in a relatively precise location, both longitudinally and laterally, and also maintain a precise hover altitude. This hover altitude is typically five or six feet above the cargo load. From this position, a crewman standing on the cargo load must connect the load suspension gear to the helicopter hook mounted on thr belly of the helicopter. Several problems occur with this crew-cargo arrangement. First, very little slack is afforded so that the crewman can compensate for position errors of the helicopter. As a result, sometimes extended communications between the crewman and the pilot are required resulting in slow or delayed hook-up times. The hook-up times can be particularly troublesome during operations with night vision goggles. Additional difficulties can occur where the crewman attempting to hook up the load is positioned too close to the helicopter landing gear, potentially being struck or knocked off the load by movement of the helicopter.
Also, there is no safe method of extracting the crewman without having a second helicopter to provide a personnel pick-up. It is generally unsafe to attempt to ride under the helicopter standing on the cargo load.
What is needed is a helicopter hook assembly which allows positioning of the ground crew during load hook-up either on the load or on the ground beside the load. Additionally, the hook assembly should allow rapid hook-up including hook-up during low visibility or night operations, including during use of night vision goggles.